
Qass. 
Book. 



,i 



-n 



PRESIDENT LINCOLN, 



A FAITHFUL SON. 



AN ADDRESS , 



^*t^ 



DELIVERED BEFORE THE 



HIGH SCHOOL 

AT LAWRENCEVILLE, N. J., 



SAMUEL M. HAMILL, D.D, 



axme 1st, 18G5. 



-— «- 



■ TRENTON: 

MURPHY & BECHTEL, PRINTERS, OPPOSITE THE CITY HALL. 
1 S 6 5. 




S>j . 



PRESIDENT LINCOLN, 



A FAITHFUL SON. 



AN ADDRESS 



DELIVERED BEFORE THE 



HIGH SCHOOL, 



AT LAWRENCEVILLE, N. J., 



SAMUEL M. HAMILL, D.D., 



»J\ine 1st, 1S65. 



TRENTON: 
MURPHY & BECHTEL, PRINTERS, OPPOSITE THE CITY HALL, 

18 6 5. 






Classical and Commercial High School, 

Lawrenceville, N. J., June 8, 1865. 
Dear Sir: — Permit us to suggest to you, the propriety of publish- 
ing the address delivered before this Institution, on the first day of 
June. It impressed us, as bringing out features of character in our 
late lamented President, which are very desirable to be presented to 
the minds of the young. We think its publication will do good. 

Yours Truly, 

H. HAMILL, 
EDWARD P. WOOD, 
WILLIAM SWAN, 
EDMUND McKINNEY. 



Gentlemen : 

In accordance with the suggestion contained in your note, the 
address delivered before the High School, on the first day of June, in 
relation to our late lamented President, is submitted for publication. 

Most Truly Yours, 

S. M. HAMILL. 
Rev. H. Hamill, Edward P. Wood, Wm. Swan, Edmund McKinney. 



ADDRESS. 



We are assembled on this day of humiliation and prayer, 
in obedience to the proclamation of the President of. the 
United States, in accordance with the sentiments of the com- 
munity in which we live, and with the feelings of our own 
hearts. We liave need to be humbled under the mighty hand 
of God, to stand in awe as we see His stately steppings, and 
listen to His voice, as He proclaims in terrible majesty, " Be 
still and know that I am God." " I will be exalted amon^ 
the nations." 

The inscrutable Providence which allowed our late beloved 
President, to be stricken down by the ruthless hand of the 
assassin, is one of those remarkable instances where God has 
asserted His control and made Himself known, in a manner' 
that has led men to pause in amazement and stand in awe of 
Him. He has taught the nation and the world a lesson 
which the memory of man will never forget. Time may roll 
on — its sweeping current carry myriads to the tomb, genera- 
tions may die, centuries may close up the'r long cycles, 
nations may be revolutionized, the vast fabrics of empire may 
all crumble and others arise in their places, but the short and 
eventful public life and violent death of Abraham Lincoln will 
be remembered away beyond thera all. How wonderful the 
Providence that has caused the very manner of his death to 
concentrate an interest in his life, to a degree beyond all 



liunian calculation ; to make that life one of the great focal 
points in the history of man. 

At the close of the deeply solemn and interesting funeral 
ceremonies which took place in the executive mansion, at 
Washington, at which it was my privilege to be present, 
twelve stalwart veteran soldiers carried the body of the 
President out of the East room. It was taken to the Capitol 
and to the railroad car, to be borne off over thousands of 
intervening miles to Springfield, 111., to rest with his beloved 
children in the silent grave. But a nation in mourning has 
caught up his name, and will bear it onward, and onward, 
and onward, as the sweep of its empire widens and strength- 
ens, and prolongs its reign. A moment accomplished his 
death ; but eternity alone will reveal the results of his life. 
A nation saved will be his witness ; a race set free will cor- 
roborate the testimony. Thousands of volumes will proclaim 
his eventful rule, and history, in its calm and truthful record, 
will bring out in bold relief the fact that his was 

" One of the few immortal names 
That were not born to die." 

The proclamation of the President suggests that on this 
occasion we should dwell upon the virtues of the deceased. 
In this duty there is a melancholy pleasure. And as I am 
addressing a company of youth, let me gather from the life of 
tlie lamented dead, the instruction that will be most profitable 
for you. 

President Lincoln's life speaks volumes to American youth. 
His simplicity of character, his artlessness, his honesty of 
purpose, his wonderful perseverance, his love of what Yirgil, 
in his Georgics, terms the " labor improbus" his striking illus- 
tration of what such labor can accomplish, his steady bearing 
in a single line of action, his planting his foot firmly and in 



I n r> nn 



5 

the right t-pot, and thcii maintainiug his jiosition l)eeau.<c it 
was right, against any and all men, his f'aitlifiilness as a son, 
his respect for religion, his humility, his humanity, his inllu- 
ence OA^er the minds of men, his heroic virtue, and the wonder- 
fully massive results of his eveotful career, point him out as 
one of the most remarkable of men. He stands out before 
the world and for all time, as a i-cmarkable instance of what, 
American institutions can prtxbice. Tliey can })ick u[) an 
humble farmer's boy, without a dollar and without a book, 
and carry him away from fencing his father's farm, and after 
taking him through a course in the district school, such as 
the frontiers afford, and of training in Aiuerican law, pie- 
pare him to become a great leader of men and controller of 
mind, and at last place him at the head of the greatest of 
nations. What institutions can Ije found elsewhere which, 
with such simple instrumentalities, can ])roduro such amazing 
results. 

Abraham Lincoln first saw the light on the 12th day of 
February, 1809, iu Hardin county, central Kentucky. He 
had that greatest of blessings to any youth (and yet a blessing 
which youth are apt to undervaluej, a pious motiier. There 
is always hope of a boy that has had the early training of a 
pious mother, especially if he respects and loves her. This 
godly woman had no doubt sent up many an earnest prayer 
on behalf of her dear son, when he was sleeping in infancy 
upon her lap. That care which none but a mother knows, 
and no son can sufficiently value or repay, followed him 
through infancy and boyhood. Her earnest desire that he 
should learn to read the Bible, soon made him familiar with 
this book. In this sacred volume is found the foundation of 
all law. His knowledge of it, lighted up his way through 
many an intricate case, when a practitioner at the Bar, It 



was often quoted by him as the highest authority in important 
decisions, when presiding over the destinies of the nation. 
On more than one occasion a simple Scriptural truth, aptly 
applied by him, settled groat national principles. A clergy- 
man, who was present, stated to me the following fact. It 
occurred at Washington, and illustrates this point. A cotton 
speculator was urging his plea for executive aid in carrying 
out certain plans. The President heard his statements 
patiently and declined action. The man urged the point. 
President Lincoln said to him, at last, " Do you know what 
the good book says ?" looking earnestly at the man and point- 
ing with his finger enforcing every word, he continued : "It 
says, 'Ye cannot serve God and mammon.' Now, my friend, 
I say to you, that in this transaction, you cannot serve cotton 
and country, and I could not aid you if you were my own 
brother." The man was struck dumb, and felt that here was 
an ultima ratio that carried conviction and from which there 
was no appeal. 

The important truths drawn from the Inspired Word, 
learned by the boy, under his pious mother's instruction 
during the first ten years of his life in his rural home, made 
the man. They became, under God, a power. That power, 
with its tremendous leverage, lifted him to the Presidency. 
And that Presidency became the instrument of salvation to a 
nation, of freedom to a race, and of life to millions. 

The boy starts to school with his spelling book at seven 
years of age. It is one of three books which constitute the 
family library. What an illustration that it is not mere 
books that make men. It is what a boy draws from them. 
It is more than this. It is what they draw from him. 
He may have his desk full of books and yet learn almost 
nothing. He may have access to the choicest libraries, yet 



leani very little. It is not what is in the books, but what he 
transfers from them to his mind and heart and life, that makes 
the scholar and the man. Abraham Lincoln's well used copy 
of Dilwor.h's Spelling Book and Bible were worth more to 
him than a whole library to a boy that would not use tiiem. 

The removal of his father from the State of Kentucky to 
Indiana, took the subject of our remarks into a new sphere 
at the age of eight years. At this early age he was a most 
important aid to his father in constructing the log tenement 
which was to house the future President for the next twelve 
years of his life. 

A new trial soon happened to him. It was the death of 
his excellent mother. It must have been a great source of 
consolation to both, however, that he was able to read the 
Bible to her on her dying bed. And when she died he was 
able to write, at this tender age, to a minister of the Gospel 
to come and preach her funeral sermon. 

In his new home he found a school, to which he was eager 
to go, and where he soon became a diligent pupil. Two 
lines of record, with regard to him, tell the whole story. It 
is this : " His progress was rapid, and his perseverance and 
faithfulness won the interest and esteem of his teacher.'' Such 
a record of any youth is an index of future greatness. 

At nineteen years of age, we find him making a trip to New 
Orleans, in execution of an important commission which he 
successfully carried out. The confidence that he inspired at 
this early period, in his energy, business qualifications, skill 
and honesty, may be inferred from the fact that the product 
of several farms were committed to his care, with a com- 
panion, to be transported on a flat boat fifteen hundred miles 
away, to find a market in a distant city, and their value to 
be brought safely back. 



8 

He remains faithfullv with his fatlier until he ha.< reachod 
manhood. He shows none of that restlessness so common 
among our youth to get away from parental restraint and 
the ties of home. He has learned to ol)cy his parents and 
to respect and honor them. Pie accompanies his father in 
the various changes of his home and labors for his support 
and that of his family. He remembers the command " Honor 
thy father and thy mother." How beautiful is obedience to 
parental authority, wherever you see it. It is a guarantee of 
a happy and successful future. It is said that he delighted, 
even when President, to show a cane made from one of the 
rails split by himself when he was a young man on liis father's 
farm. He had none of that sickly sentiment wljich leads a 
youth to be ashamed of his early history. 

What might we look for from such a training ? We may 
look for manly, vigorous traits of character, and we have 
them. He starts out for himself. He feels that he can 
depend on himself, and, with the blessing of God, will suc- 
ceed. He teaches and imparts successfully the knowledge he 
has acquired. He has learned to govern himself, and is 
capable of governing otliers. Men are called for to defend 
that section of country against the Indians. A company is 
formed where he resides. He joins them and is elected their 
captain. Though one of the youngest of their number he is 
selected as their leader. How strong this testimony in favor 
of so young a man. He is made captain, not by wealth or 
overpowering influence, but by merit. He leads successfully 
and gathers new honor. He lays aside the sword and culti- 
vates the arts of peace. He becomes a student of law. He 
is admitted to the Bar, and in less than ten years his able and 
learned legal instructor pronounces him his own superior 
before a jury. He is scut to the Legislature of the State of 



his adoption. He rises to distinction here, and is repeatedly- 
sent back again. He is elected to Congress, and there, with 
manly independence, stands forth as the only advocate from 
Illinois of great principles which have since become the fixed 
policy of the government and country. But he lived to see 
the State of Illinois indorse that policy. He is sent to im- 
portant conventions, and displays remarkable ability and 
tact. He gains new laurels at every point. Men look at 
him. They see elements of character. They see honesty of 
purpose and marks of great leadership. They trust him and 
their confidence is fully met. He was never known to have 
been placed in a position, where he failed to meet the reason- 
able expectations of his friends. 

When he had reached his profession and established a rep- 
utation. Providence had provided for him a suitable partnerj 
She was the descendent of a Revolutionary patriot. Let us 
note how God rewards faithfulness. 

About the year 1758 there settled in eastern Pennsylvania, 
near the Trappe, in Montgomery county, a pious couple, John 
and Isabella Todd. They trained up their numerous house- 
hold in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The 
period of 1776 found their children grown up. They 
espoused the cause of the Colonies. Their sons were able to 
bear arms. Three of them were in some of the most impor- 
tant battles of the Revolution. They were severally present 
at the battles of Germantown, Monmouth, Trenton and Prince- 
ton. Two of them spent the memorable winter with Wash-> 
ington at Valley Forge. When the Revolution was over, 
these two sons of that interesting period went out, with the 
blessing of their parents, to seek a home in the West. They 
settled eventually in Kentucky. The Lord prospered them 
and gave them influence. He gave their name to one of the 



10 

counties of Kentucky.* He gave, too, a grand-daughter of one 
of them to be the wife of President Lincoln, who, ardent, faith- 
ful and heroic, might bless him with her love, cheer him by her 
smiles, and sustain him by her sympathy. Thus was the faith- 
fulness and patriotism of a son of the Revolution, rewarded 
even to the third generation. 

But ah, the keenness of the anguish that fills that stricken 
widow's heart, the sadness that fills those of her beloved boys, 
now more dear to her than ever ! Our own hearts are melted 
into tenderness as we dwell upon it, and sorrow comes rushing 
in upon us like a flood. A nation mourns in sadness too. 

Some have expressed wonder that such a man should be 
permitted to die such a death. But sacred history informs 
us that righteous Abel was stricken down by the hand of 
violence, and that the hand of his own In-other. Good King 
Josiah, one of the best of Israel's rulers, was pierced by an 
arrow and weltered in his own blood in his chariot. The 
devout Stephen was slain by a mob. And the Apostle to the 
Gentiles, after his great mission was completed, was beheaded 
in the presence of a Roman emperor. 

The commanding position that Mr. Lincoln had taken and 
held so well, was strengthened by his discussion of great 
principles with the late distinguished Senator from Illinois, 
(Hon. S. A. Douglas,) who had earned the title of the giant 
of the west. That discussion, managed so adroitly and ably 
by Mr. Douglas, and so manfully, vigorously and successfully 
by Mr. Lincoln, will long be remembered as one of the ablest 
exhibitions of forensic power ever made in tliis country. The 
two champions in that remarkable debate bccamlf* eventually 
the standard-bearers of two great parties in a contest which 
shook the nation to its centre. 

«Todd County. 



11 

When the Chicago Convention of 1860 sought a candidate 
for the Presidency, all eyes were turned to Mr. Lincoln. The 
streams of influence flowed in toward Springfield as the 
rivers flow to the sea. The successful advocate, the wise 
counsellor, the honest man, was called into requisition. The 
voice of the people summoned him to Washington, to lay his 
hand upon the helm of state. How eventful the time ! How 
the nation trembled ! How men's hearts failed them for fear ! 
The heavy cloud of civil war was already above the horizon. 
It ascended in awful grandeur to the zenith, and overspread 
the heavens. The lightning flashed, the thunder rolled, and 
the storm burst forth with terrific fury, threatening ruin 
everywhere. And yet, self-poised and calm, amidst the 
raging elements, the gaping wave and rushing flood, this 
helmsman stood, with steady hand and fixed eye, with nerves 
of steel and patriotic heart. His playful pleasantry promoted 
cheerfulness and hope, while hope inspired confidence, and 
confidence insured success. And when the people's voice 
again, in louder, stronger, fuller tone, proclaimed a nation's 
confidence in him, and insisted that be should maintain his 
position, the storm gave way, and the noble ship moved 
forth upon a calmer sea. All honor to the illustrious chief 
who directed her way. But as the storm abates, the chieftain 
falls. The hand of violence has struck him down. Just as 
the nation looks in admiration on the man, and hearts of 
swelling gratitude and love speak forth his praise, he is no 
more. Just as a burden is rolled oS" from every loyal heart, 
we are overwhelmed with sorrow. How sad the calamity ! 
How inscrutible the Providence ! 

Faithful son ! unswerving patriot ! judicious counsellor ! 
beloved President ! illustrious man 1 Thy nation has lost a 
martyred father ! Thy country mourns a most noble son ! 



f*. 



